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In a Woman's Mind - Where are his Packers?

It all started the end of last football season, when husband Dennis discovered new customers to the sports game day ticket channel he so adores, were getting it free. This made him indignant, because he was after all, a long time customer who was being charged for the service.

Now to say that Dennis is a sports enthusiast would be an understatement. He lives and breathes sports...from baseball and basketball, to soccer and obscure gaming ventures like...well, let me think...he once got excited about a cow pie-throwing contest in Wisconsin! He would be a great front cover or poster child for the ‘Men Are From Mars and Women Are From Venus’ book. But, his particular favorite is football, namely the Packers!

“That’s bull _ _ _ _, Dixie!” He announced. “I’ve been a loyal customer, and they actually give this free to new customers!”

“Dennis, they’re just trying to get new customers into their plan,” I replied. “It’s really not that hard to follow.”

“You don’t offend your regular customers by doing that,” he said indignantly. “I’m going to call them right now.”

He called to complain, but was told that was the promotion, and they weren’t going to alter his monthly charge. He hung up on them and grumbled to me. “What’s wrong with these companies, don’t they respect and reward loyalty?”

“Well don’t take it then, that’s a simple solution,” I said calmly. “We could finally get back our Saturdays... Sundays... Mondays... and Thursdays. We could have a life again! By the way, did you know we had a new granddaughter two years ago?”

He glared, and I stopped talking.

But that wasn’t the end of it. While Dennis watched and enjoyed endless football, he was still stewing about being charged for something some newby got free. He discovered my niece had called and complained about the same problem, and got her bill significantly reduced. That was like steroids in the veins of an athlete – he was pumped!

“I’m going to call them and really lay it on the line,” he stressed. “I’ve had it with always being taken advantage of.”

He dialed up the satellite company’s number, and after being put on hold with calming music for an inordinate amount of time, he got an agent...with an accent...that was difficult to understand, according to him. He explained his situation and how he knew someone who had made the same complaint and had gotten it reduced, and that he was demanding the same courtesy. He had to speak to a person in charge to register his complaint and hopefully get a remedy!

At this point, he went into another room because his language was getting dicey, and I was giving him too much feedback about said salty words to the company representative.

He returned somewhat shaken but smug after the conversation. They weren’t capitulating, or reducing their monthly charge. “So, I told them I wasn’t going to stand for it, and I dropped their service! That’s ridiculous, Dixie. I don’t need to have their crazy channel.”

Much like his hero and famous Packer coach Vince Lombardi, my husband was filled with pride and determination.

“Well, you told them Dennis!” I responded supportingly. But I had this feeling it wasn’t over. I didn’t have any problem over him paying for the game day ticket, but he had drawn a line in the sand, and they hadn’t responded how he wanted. Dennis may have talked a good game, but if he couldn’t watch the Packers, there’d be hell to pay!

****

Fall came around, and the Packers were playing. We hurried home from an engagement to be able to catch the game on TV. But guess what? The Packers weren’t on the standard channels. (This would separate the wheat from the chaff!) Dennis was exasperated, and the game had already started.

He grabbed his phone, dialed the number, and again got the soothing music. “The game is almost ten minutes in,” he stressed with exasperation.

“Breathe deeply, honey,” I said watching him. “Your face is flushed.” He went downstairs to watch other games to pacify himself while he was waiting on hold. I heard him talking on the phone in one of the bedrooms. The conversation seemed kind of ‘animated’ at first, and then the tone seemed to change.

“Hey Dennis,” I said through the bedroom door, “You aren’t groveling, are you?” No response.

I went back upstairs to cook supper. When I returned, the Packers were on our TV!

“Hey Dix, the Packers just threw for a touchdown. You should’ve seen it!”

“Did you really tell them (the cable company), and they erased your monthly charge?” I questioned, already knowing the answer – a Packer fan has some addiction issues!

“They reduced the rate a bundle,” he responded. (But I wasn’t in the room anymore. To him – the Packers were on!)